


Love and Reconciliation

by AtomicMeh



Category: RWBY
Genre: Bumblebee - Freeform, Canon compliant through Vol 6 Ch 3, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-24
Updated: 2018-11-24
Packaged: 2019-08-28 12:38:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16723560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AtomicMeh/pseuds/AtomicMeh
Summary: RWBY and Co find an inn in a small village on their way to Argus and decide to stop for the night to have a hot meal and sleep in a warm bed. Weiss sees a perfect opportunity for Blake and Yang to have a Talk™.





	Love and Reconciliation

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, all! Welcome to my first RWBY fic. I know everyone and their uncle Qrow have done their take on The Talk™, but I had this bouncing around my head for a week and preventing me from writing other things so I had to get it out. I wrote almost all of this prior to Vol 6 Ch 4, so anything close to canon after Ch 3 is purely accidental. I hope you'll forgive me if this isn't the most original thing in the world, but thank you for giving it a chance in any case, and I hope you enjoy it! I might be a little rusty since this is the first thing I've written in a couple years, so I welcome any and all comments and criticism.

While making the long trek toward Argus they managed to find a town with an inn to rest at one night. After parking Bumblebee outside, everyone deposited what they had managed to salvage of their belongings in the two-bed rooms that they’d secured for the night. It was decided that Qrow would room with Oscar, Ruby with Weiss, and finally Blake with Yang. Abuelita Maria took a room for herself.

 

With their gear stowed, the group met in the common room for a hot meal. It was a subdued affair, each one of them still processing the events of the previous few days. Though light had been shed on many of the shadowed mysteries surrounding their mission, they were left with some new questions of Remnant-sized proportions. They knew Salem’s origin and nature now, but what was her ultimate goal? To conquer the Faunus and Humans of Remnant? To destroy them? Or was it to punish Ozma?

 

Perhaps the most world-shaking of Jinn’s revelations, however, was that Salem apparently could not be defeated. Some of them took that information at face value, believing that their mission could at best end in a stalemate, only to be resumed at a later date as had been happening for an undetermined amount of time since Ozma and Salem began their feud. A few of them, unwilling to believe that there was no way to permanently defeat Salem, thought about the question Ozma had asked Jinn, and how both the question and Jinn’s ensuing answer were worded.

 

_“How do I destroy Salem?”_

 

_“You can’t.”_

 

Did Jinn mean that Salem couldn’t be defeated by mortal means? Or that Ozma couldn’t destroy her? Could one of the relics, Destruction perhaps, end her once and for all?

 

These were the questions that occupied Yang’s thoughts as she absentmindedly ate her dinner. Blake, no longer far from Yang’s side, sat to her left and stole concerned glances at her partner every couple of minutes. Everyone else was also occupied with deep ruminations and didn’t notice. Everyone, that is, except a certain blue-eyed former heiress.

 

Weiss was getting tired of all of the cautious glances and carefully-worded remarks, all the tiptoeing Blake was doing because, while they were working together just fine, things were not resolved between the two women. Resolving to do something about it, Weiss waited until Yang was finished eating before making a move.

 

“Yang, can I have your assistance with something for a moment?”

 

Yang blinked, broken from her ruminations, and looked up at Weiss. “Um, sure; what do you need?”

 

“Just follow me.” Getting up, she led Yang to the room Weiss and Ruby would be sharing and shut the door behind them.

 

“So, what do you need?” Yang asked.

 

“What I need is for you to talk to Blake. She’s walking on eggshells around you, afraid that every little thing she says or does might break this tenuous peace between you two.”

 

Yang opened her mouth to voice the expected protest.

 

“And before you say everything’s fine, I know you well enough to know that it’s not! And so does Blake.” Yang closed her mouth with an audible click of her teeth. “You’ve handled interactions with her well so far, but it’s obvious that you’re emotionally off-balance; you’ve been agitated and frustrated with everyone and everything outside of our team.”

 

Her gaze slipped to the floor, mulling over Weiss’ words.

 

“You care about Blake, I know you do, probably more than anyone other than Ruby. And Blake cares about you, too, otherwise she wouldn’t be so worried about interacting with you,” Weiss continued. “Please, for all of our sakes, especially yours and Blake’s, work things out between the two of you. Don’t let your stubbornness keep you from moving past the lingering issues and having the relationship with Blake that you deserve.”

 

Yang sighed, her shoulders sagging in resignation. “Okay. I’ll talk to her tonight, if she’s ready. I’m not going to try to force the issue, though.”

 

“Oh, trust me; she’s been ready to talk to you about this since we boarded that dust-forsaken train!”

 

Yang turned to the door. “I’m going to head back to my room; let Blake know if she asks,” she said as she turned down the hall towards her room.

  
  


♞♞♞♞♞♞♞

  
  


Blake watched anxiously as Yang got up from the table and followed Weiss back towards the rooms.

 

_Where is Weiss taking her?!_  She almost got up to follow them until she regained control of herself with closed eyes and a deep, calming breath.  _It’s fine; she’s just going to help Weiss, she will be right back._

 

Even with the logical reassurance, Blake couldn’t help feeling apprehensive over the absence of her partner. Since reuniting, Blake hadn’t allowed Yang out of her sight for more than a few minutes at a time, and then only when absolutely necessary. Some might see it as unhealthy attachment, but it was really about reassurance; reassurance for Blake that, after such a long time away from her warm, boisterous partner, they really were back together again. And reassurance for Yang, that Blake wasn’t going anywhere, that she would from then on remain by her side and have her back. That was incredibly important to Blake, to make sure her partner knew she wouldn’t repeat past mistakes.

 

_I wish she wouldn’t pretend that everything is fine, that everything will just go back to normal. I wish she’d let me in, let me explain, repair the rift between us… But, I don’t really deserve that, do I? Not after what I did to her._

 

The others began to disperse with quiet parting words as they finished their meals, leaving just Ruby and Blake still at the table.

 

“How are you doing, Blake?” She asked quietly. “You’ve barely said two words tonight.”

 

Blake was shocked out of her despondent thoughts, but quickly schooled her features before facing her team leader.

 

“I’m fine. Everything’s just been so tense, after learning what we did from Jinn. I guess this just feels like the calm before the storm, a storm we have no chance of weathering, and I’m waiting for the destruction to begin.”

 

Ruby thought about that for a moment. “I know it seems like there’s no hope, but I believe there is. I think we might have a couple options, but we need more information. But even if all we can do is stop Salem for now, until we can figure out something more permanent, then that’s what we have to do. We still have to protect the people.”

 

Blake would never get over how pure and sincere Ruby was. She really was indomitable. “I hope you’re right, Ruby. But no matter what happens, I will follow you, Yang, and Weiss to whatever end.”

 

Ruby gave her a reassuring smile just as Weiss came back into the common room.

 

The Faunus’ eyes snapped to Weiss as she entered the room, lingering on the doorway expecting to see Yang following her. When her partner did not appear, she panicked, showing through her calm facade just enough for Weiss to notice.

 

As Blake opened her mouth to ask where Yang was, Weiss spoke up, anticipating the question with how hyper-aware of Yang Blake had been.

 

“Yang went back to your room. Ruby, I think we should retire for the night, as well. It’s been too long since I’ve slept in a decent bed in a warm room. Come on.”

 

Ruby hurried over to her partner, both bidding Blake quiet goodnights, though Weiss gave her a look she couldn’t quite decipher.

 

Not willing to unnecessarily spend any more time away from Yang, Blake wasted no time getting to their shared room.

 

As the Faunus entered, she found Yang adjusting her mechanical arm. Blake’s feline ears wilted at the constant reminder of what Yang had sacrificed for her.  _And how did I repay her? By abandoning her._

 

The blonde brawler stopped fiddling with her arm and looked at her partner with a mixture of apprehension and resignation.

 

“Yang? Is everything alright?”

 

Yang sighed. “The truth? No, not really.” She pat the bed beside her, Blake not hesitating to take the space next to Yang.

 

“Do you want to talk about it?” Blake asked, uncertainty and apprehension clear in her demeanor. She never had been very good at hiding her feelings from Yang, and her cat ears only made it harder.

 

“Want to?” Yang sighed. “No. But I need to. Weiss is right, if we don’t talk about things then eventually it’s going to eat away at me until something bad happens. And with what we now know, and what lies ahead for us, we can’t afford to have any issues between us.”

 

“Yang, I’m so-”

 

The blonde held up a hand to stop Blake’s inevitable apology. “Before you say anything, I need you to understand. Understand how I felt, how I feel now, and what I went through.”

 

Blake closed her mouth and nodded for her partner to continue, her shoulders and feline ears both drooping in defeat. She couldn’t stop herself from glancing at Yang’s prosthetic arm, which wasn’t lost on the brawler.

 

“Let’s get something straight right away; this?” Yang raised her right arm. “Not your fault.”

 

Blake opened her mouth to argue, but Yang shot her a look that clearly conveyed she wasn’t done and didn’t want to be interrupted. She settled in once more so her partner could continue.

 

“I know you blame yourself for me losing my arm, but the reality of it is... it’s my fault, and -” Her left arm began to quiver at the thought of the man who maimed her, and she closed her eyes, placing her mechanical hand on her left forearm to stop the trembling. It was all Blake could do to not take her hand and attempt to quell the shaking herself. “-  _his,”_ she said through gritted teeth.

 

Blake’s feline ears drooped further and she hung her head in shame.

 

“I’m sure you blame yourself for what he did, but the truth is his actions, his decisions, are his own and so are mine, and that makes them and their consequences our responsibilities, not yours. He didn’t have to side with Salem, and he didn’t have to attack Beacon. You didn’t force him to do that, he chose to. And I chose to rush in and fight him. So this -” Yang gestured to her arm “- is all me. And you know what?” Yang’s eyes began to water and her voice trembled with emotion. “I would do it again, if it would keep you safe. There’s no part of me I wouldn’t sacrifice for you, because I don’t want to live in a world without you in it.”

 

Blake raised her head to look at Yang and inhaled sharply, her own eyes beginning to tear up at the revelation of just how much Yang cared for her.

 

“But…” She took a deep breath to center herself. “Blake, do you know what it’s like to have people abandon you throughout your life? To never be enough for people to stay, to always feel like you’re inadequate and not worth people’s time?” At this point Yang began to lose the fight to control her emotions, letting out a small choked sob.

 

“My birth mother, then Summer… Dad, while grieving for Summer, was practically non-existent as a father, leaving me to take care of Ruby. For years. Even Ruby, even though I know she had to, it still hurt! But you… You abandoning me, Blake, hurt the most.” The blonde ran the back of her hand across her eyes, wiping away her tears. Blake was openly crying now, not even attempting to stop or hide it.

 

Yang took a shuddering breath. “I never expected you to stay with me forever, but after what Adam did… I needed you! And I thought that with you, I had finally found someone who I really mattered to, who wouldn’t abandon me when I was defeated and at my most vulnerable...”

 

Yang’s voice didn’t just crack at the end of the last sentence, it shattered. She fell apart, sobbing openly into her hands, and it broke Blake, tore her heart apart as surely as any creature of Grimm, and she couldn’t hold her reaction any longer.

 

She dropped to her knees in front of Yang and grasped her forearms.

 

“No, Yang!” She cried out, her own sobs breaking up the words. “No! I didn’t leave because I don’t care, or because you don’t matter enough! I left because you are all that matters, you are everything.”

 

Yang removed her hands from her face and looked at Blake through her tears. The anguish on her face nearly destroyed Blake, but she used it to give her the strength to do all that she could to take away the pain she had caused.

 

“I know now what me leaving did to you, and understand how I screwed up! If I could, I would change how I did it. But don’t think, for a second longer, that I left because you aren’t enough. You didn’t see what happened before you attacked Adam, didn’t hear what he said to me. He told me that he would destroy everything that I love. That was when you got there, calling for me. I saw you through the window, and he saw the look on my face, saw how I looked at you. And he knew. So he said he would start with you.”

 

The tears still streamed down her cheeks, but Yang’s sobs had subsided as she listened intently to what her partner was saying.  _Did she just imply that she loves me?_

 

Blake took both of Yang’s hands into her left hand, and cupped her partner’s cheek with the right. “The truth is, Yang, that you matter more than anything to me, that you are everything, and I was terrified that if I didn’t leave, that if I stayed near you, he would come back to finish what he had started. He tried, after he cut off your arm, but I was able to use my semblance to give me enough time to get us both out.”

 

The Faunus sniffled and continued, never breaking contact with the lilac eyes she had come to adore. “And he was right, Yang, he saw it clear as day.”

 

Blake paused, and Yang communicated her lack of understanding with her eyes.

 

“I do love you, more than I thought I could love anyone.”

 

Yang let out a new sob, and the stream of her tears intensified. This time, though, they were tears of joy, joy that she had been wrong about Blake. She even managed a shaky smile.

 

Blake pulled Yang into a tight hug, burying her face into the thick blonde locks, communicating through the embrace that she would never leave her again. Just to make sure she got the point across, she gave voice to the sentiment, anyway.

 

“I will never leave you again, Yang, I swear it. No matter what happens, I won’t take your choice in the matter away again, and I will stand beside you through whatever comes. I couldn’t live with myself if I ever hurt you again like I did when I left. I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you as it is, fighting to regain your trust and prove that I won’t abandon you.”

 

Yang sobbed into Blake’s shoulder, strengthening her hold on the Faunus. “I’ll hold you to that.”

 

Blake let out a shaky laugh. “I love you, Yang. I’m here, and I’m yours, if you’ll have me.”

 

Yang pulled away just enough to look into Blake’s golden eyes, doing all she could not to get lost in them. “I love you, Blake. There was never any chance that I wouldn’t. And I would have you by my side whether you returned my love or not, that’s how important to me you are.”

 

Yang kissed Blake on the forehead, conveying her deep affection for the woman, then rest her forehead against the Faunus’. “Will you stay with me?”

 

Blake smiled her first real smile since reuniting with her partner and team. “There’s nowhere I’d rather be, and I’m not going anywhere.”

 

They pulled off their boots and shrugged out of their coats, not bothering with the rest of their clothing. Yang laid down on her back and pulled the Faunus onto the bed with her. Blake nuzzled under Yang’s chin, laying halfway on top of her, and placed a chaste kiss onto her pulse point. She responded by kissing Blake between her feline ears, a feeling of joy coming over her when they twitched and brushed against her cheeks.

 

Yang wrapped her right arm around Blake’s shoulders, her left around her waist, hand resting on Blake’s lower back. Blake in turn wrapped her right arm around Yang’s stomach, and they pulled each other closer.

 

Blake yawned, the exhaustion from their emotional reconciliation quickly pulling her towards unconsciousness, and she settled more closely into Yang, entwining their legs. Taking comfort in the warmth and touch of each other, they drifted into the first content sleep either of them had had in months, free of nightmares and free of fear and worry for each other.


End file.
